USTTI on Pace to Break Application RecordThus far in 2005, the USTTI has received 11,232 applications from IT, telecommunications, and broadcasting officials from 133 countries for its training courses. That puts the USTTI on pace to receive more applications this year than in any other in its 23-year history! Sincere thanks go to all those who have expressed their interest in benefiting from the USTTI’s tuition-free ICT training. We encourage you to visit on our web site regularly, as the USTTI’s 2006 curriculum will be posted in late November or early December.

The Emergency Training sequence began with a seminar titled, "Crisis Communications, Incident Management, and the U.S. Approach." This seminar was organized by Cristin Flynn-Goodwin, Director of National Security Emergency Preparedness for BellSouth. The intense one-day session provided insights on the structure of the U.S. telecommunications sector, crisis response, national security, emergency preparedness, and best practices. Guest speakers included: Guy Copeland, Vice President of Information Infrastructure Advisory Programs and Special Assistant to the Chief Executive, CSC Corporation, and President of Information Technology Information Sharing and Analysis Center (IT-ISAC); Joan Grewe, National Security Research, Inc., Program Manager, Telecommunications, Lt. Col., US Army (Retired); Jim Bugel, Executive Director of Federal Regulatory Affairs, Cingular; Mr. Christopher Guttman-McCabe, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, CTIA; and Karl F. Rauscher, Executive Director of Bell Labs Network Reliability and Security Office, Lucent Technologies. We'd like to thank Cristin and all of our speakers for such a successful seminar!

Telehealth SequenceIn October, five medical professionals arrived in Washington, DC to begin a training sequence on telehealth and distance learning applications. Representing Ethiopia, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, and Taiwan, these participants learned about the numerous applications of telehealth technologies. After visiting Howard University, the University of Virginia Health System, the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, and preparing for training at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, these new USTTI alumni are now aware of the differences between federal and state telehealth programs, and the benefits of both. This year’s telehealth sequence was also the first year of a course offering by GCI in Anchorage, Alaska. We are grateful for the support of all our sponsors who showcase telehealth for outstanding officials from throughout the world.

Satellite SequenceSixteen officials from 13 countries recently graduated from the Satellite Communications training sequence which consisted of programs by Application Technology Strategy Inc., in Washington, DC, PanAmSat in Ellenwood, GA, and The Boeing Company in El Segundo, CA. Participants learned about the extensive regulations of the satellite industry, satellite operations and applications, and the seven-year timeline from the decision to launch a new satellite to the date it becomes operational. We congratulate these new USTTI alumni for completing this intensive two-week sequence.

Welcome to the Team!In September 2005, USTTI welcomed another Curriculum Coordinator to its staff. William Linnoila is a graduate of American University with a dual B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and Justice, Law, and Society. Before joining the USTTI, Will interned for several organizations, one of which is a USTTI course sponsor, WAMU 88.5 FM. Will was also an accomplished collegiate athlete, earning Patriot League academic honors for swimming in all four years of college. Will is happy to be joining the USTTI team, and looks forward to working with our participants, sponsors, and alumni in the coming years.

Daylight Saving TimeMost of the United States, with the exception of Arizona, Hawaii, and Indiana, observe Daylight Saving Time (DST), or “Summer Time” as it is also known. DST begins at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April and reverts to standard time at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October. This year DST will end on Sunday, October 30, resulting in moving our clocks back one hour. Supporters of the time change argue that having more daylight in the evening reduces energy use. Due to these findings, the U.S. Government has altered DST so that in 2007 it will begin three weeks earlier and end one week later.

World SeriesWhile the rest of the world is closely following the World Cup qualifying rounds, US sports fans are immersed in baseball's championship series - The World Series. After defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League playoffs, the Houston Astros will make their first World Series appearance in the 46 year team history. The Astros will face the American League Champions, the Chicago White Sox, who defeated the Anaheim Angels to bring the pennant home to the Windy City. For the White Sox, it has been 43 years since the team has made it to the final series. As of October 24, the White Sox have a 2-0 lead over the Astros in the 7 game series. The series will be entertaining to watch, and may the best team win!

Another Year Already?It is hard to believe that another USTTI training year is coming to an end! After more than 70 courses, 11,000 applications, and 344 graduates, USTTI is preparing to welcome our last orientation group of 2005 next week. It has been a successful year and the USTTI staff has been pleased to add so many outstanding professionals to the USTTI alumni family. We hope that all of our alumni share information about their USTTI training experience with their colleagues and friends at home and encourage them to apply for 2006 training.